Valentine"s Perfection

Valentine's weekend wasn't all it was cracked up to be initially.  We had a family emergency we needed to get out to Las Vegas for, which meant a long car ride.  Fortunately, thanks to grandma and grandpa we were able to go solo which made for great talk time and no pit stops to pee.  We had our fancy meal on the road, surrounded by desert for as far as the eye could see.

Late that evening we headed home.  We wanted the comfort of our own bed and had really been looking forward to a fellowship event that our new marriage ministry was hosting.  I'm so glad we did because it was all kinds of perfect.  The weather was perfect, the kids were entertained and well behaved the entire time, the food and fellowship were perfect, and the blessing by our pastor was just perfect.  The resolutions we read aloud, face to face were just beautiful reminders of what we should be working towards on a daily basis in our loving each other whole heartedly.  It was one of the most perfect Valentine's ever. . .even a day late!  (My diamond cross, Ernie bought me was pretty perfect too!)

"It's not the length of years. . .it's the depth of love."--Fr. Rich

THE

RESOLUTION

(men)

I DO solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.

I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home.

I WILL be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me.

I WILL bless my children and teach them to love God with all their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength.

I WILL train them to honor authority and live responsibility.

I WILL confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy.

I WILL pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion.

I WILL work diligently to provide for the needs of my family.

I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged. 

I WILL learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.

I WILL seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will.

I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory.

___________________________________                        ____________________________________

SIGNATURE                                                DATE                              WITNESS                                                   DATE

THE

RESOLUTION

(women)

I DO SOLEMNLY RESOLVE to embrace my current season of life and will maximize my time in it. I will resist the urge to hurry through or circumvent any portion of my journey but will live with a spirit of contentment.

I WILL ACCEPT and celebrate my uniqueness, and will esteem and encourage the distinctions I admire in others.

I WILL LIVE as a woman answerable to God and faithfully committed to His Word.

I WILL SEEK to devote the best of myself, my time, and my talents to the primary roles the Lord has entrusted to me in this phase of my life.

I WILL BE a woman who is quick to listen and slow to speak. I will care about the concerns of others and esteem them more highly than myself.

I WILL FORGIVE those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged. 

I WILL NOT TOLERATE evil influences even in the most justifiable form, in myself or my home, but will embrace and encourage a life of purity.

I WILL PURSUE justice, love mercy, and extend compassion toward others.

I WILL BE FAITHFULL to my husband and honor him in my conduct and conversation in order to bring glory to the name of the Lord. I will aspire to be a suitable partner for him to help him reach his God-given potential

I WILL DEMONSTRATE to my children how to love God with all their hearts, minds, and strength, and will train them to respect authority and live responsibly.

I WILL CULTIVATE a peaceful home where everyone can sense God’s presence not only through acts of love and service but also through the pleasant and grateful attitude with which I perform them.

___________________________________                        ____________________________________

SIGNATURE                                                DATE                              WITNESS                                                   DATE

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

JOSHUA 24:15

Weekly Ramblings with Aches and Breaks

While love is definitely in the air around here. . .it has taken much prep work to keep ourselves on top of Valentines and projects all the kids have due tomorrow amidst some aches and breaks.

To top that off we have a little Nessa Bessa that has croup. . . AGAIN!
Oh yeah. . .and grandma goes in for surgery in about half hour due to three breaks in her tibia and fibula right above her ankle.  Yep.  Not good.  Not good at all. . .

Yet all I can think is that God gifted me a wonderful weekend away to reflect on my role as a mom and wife. . .and I come back to this chaotic frenzy of REAL LIFE that could possibly take my focus off who He is for me and the wonderful mercies and blessings He gives me every day.  But instead, thanks largely in part to my being filled at the MomHeart Conference, I recognize the only way to get through the rough patches is to literally be solid and FOCUSED in the Word.  There's really no other way.  Apart from Him all the rest is impossible. What a gift!!  It's as if He knew I was coming home to crazy and He better equipped me to handle it.  I've still been able to pour into my kiddos.  I've still been cozying up with them to read.  I've stopped to snuggle on the couch when Janessa needs me to pause.  I still was able to get to the store to help a sick friend out...it is ALL through Him.

The verse I've been memorizing the last two weeks is:
"the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it."--John 1:5
 No matter what has been thrown at us or what is to come, God is our light.  He is ALL we need.

The newest one I'm working on is, "because He was full of grace and truth from Him we all received one gift after another."--John 1:16

What lessons/gifts have I been learning from the deaths we experienced in January?  From my prayers about my work situation?  From the bad thing that just happened to my mom?  From a child who is sick. . .again?  From projects that have to be completed and turned in amidst the chaos?  That it's all going to turn out okay.  God's got this and He has me in the palm of His hand carrying me through.  Jonathan's life verse plays on repeat, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. . . " --Philipians 4:13

Leaning on these truths today as I nurse a sick little, make cookies and brownies for parties, organize a silent auction thing at the school, all the while leaning into Him and His promises.

            

At the end of the day my BRAVE might look very differently than yours.  But it's brave nonetheless.  Believe you can be brave today and He will make it happen. 

Always Catching Up. . .

Where to begin?  As February has erupted with rapid speed, I knew there was a longing to find quiet in a space I could call my own.  Last weekend, E delivered it for me.  After rearranging some furniture, I had space for a recliner in a corner of our room.  I brought up a small table from the living room, and inherited a checker table from my Aunt Dorothy. I brought up our photo frame from the kitchen and I just love that corner of my world!

 It is complete with all of my books, bibles, devotionals, and journals.  A little haven just for me--except of course when I share it.  We now have the perfect little place to have tea parties when someone is needing a little one on one attention.  I love this tea/talk time in our room now! It is so much more intimate that the living room or kitchen table.  I can close the door and shut out the world so I am focused on the little one in need.

Nessa Bessa has taken a liking to it too.  Actually all three kids have been found sitting up there reading their books.  A perfect, quiet retreat!  That checker board--we used it for the first time Wednesday night.  Jonathan is learning how to play--then I had to google how to win.  I had forgotten what a checker chase it could be!! I'm looking forward to may games in our future.

As this has become my personal photo journal of our year, I had to document Nessa's first trip to the dentist.  She was a trooper.  She was so cooperative and unafraid.  She was fascinated with the process and loved her new dentist!  The best news:  no cavities!!!

It is hard to believe that Valentine's day has come and gone.  It was a quiet day, one in which I just was in a bit of a funk.  You know the kind that there's really no good reason for?  It was just this feeling of blah.  Two bouquets of flowers didn't take it away, nor did the great devotional E bought me.  It just kind of stuck with me until I baked a little and delivered a couple small loaves of banana bread to people I appreciate and admire.  One such delivery to my mom resulted in a huge tray of lasagna that she had made for myself and each of my brothers!  This was a treat because first, it's E's favorite and I was planning on making my own.  Talk about taking the work out of the kitchen!!  That was super generous and so very much appreciated.

Maybe the blah was because my mom has ALWAYS made Valentine's Day special--we usually had home made lasagna with place mats/valentines she made us every year.  There was always a little gift to open, a pretty table set and candle light.  It was always a feast we looked forward to.  Then it grew into this huge thing--I mean HUGE!  There were about 30 to 50 people that would show up and she started wrapping and decorating in January! It is funny, when it was that big I longed for a smaller scale, but now that there is nothing--and it's up to me to deliver for my own family and make it special--I realize it is a lot of work.  A. Lot. Of. Work.  I buy them each a book and decorate the house, but I think the expectations I have for myself are trying to meet  the ones my mom set for herself.  Maybe this year the blah was all about the realization that --I'm not her.  I can't do it like that. My kids don't expect me to.


I sent my brother a text saying, "Valentine's is soooo over rated, don't you think?"  I think the expressions of love that I miss most are the written ones, the daily ones, the ones focused on us being together, laughing and loving. I miss the simplicity of doing life together.  I missed my oldest son and daughter not being home to celebrate with us.  I missed the important people in my kid's lives not calling or texting to tell them they were loved.  I smiled when Lene thanked her dad and hugged him for the book she received and he acknowledged. . .it was all me.  Moms are the ones who create the magic, the celebrations, the traditions.  It's exhausting work because the kind I'm trying to impart to these children of mine are intentional, time consuming, hands on, all consuming of me and my energy because it's relationships.  Developing relationships is exhausting and exhilarating all in the same breath. Sometimes these relationships will be ridiculed or misunderstood by others. . .but at the end of the day I want to raise kids who know that God has a mighty plan for them and mom and dad plan on supporting them every step of the way.